Dr. Seuss Memorial Opens
in Massachusetts
The world of Dr. Seuss has been recreated in bronze on the campus of the Springfield (Mass.) Library and Museums Association. In a grand opening ceremony May 31, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial celebrated the creations of Theodor Geisel, better known by his pen name of Dr. Seuss.
Geisel was born in Springfield and lived there during his childhood, spending much of his time at the library. After Geisel returned for a visit to the library in 1986, officials decided to create a permanent monument to their famous patron, who died in 1991. But a simple bust in a corner somewhere was not enough. “We wanted him in the context of his creation and he approved of that,” SLMA President and Executive Director Joseph Carvalho told American Libraries.
The memorial includes five life-size bronze sculptures of some of Geisel’s favorite characters. Created by Geisel’s stepdaughter Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, the sculptures include a 14-foot-high Horton the Elephant and other characters emerging from a book, a four-foot-high statue of the Lorax, and a life-size image of Geisel himself seated at an exact replica of his drawing table.
Geisel’s widow, Audrey, attended to kick off a weekend read-a-thon of Geisel’s works. On June 1, Friends of Libraries U.S.A. is presenting a Literary Landmarks register plaque for the memorial.
Posted June 3, 2002.
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